Original ArticleLesion of the Nucleus Solitarius Leads to Impaired Laryngeal Sensation in Bulbar Palsy Patients
Section snippets
Methods
Fifteen bulbar palsy patients (9 males and 6 females; average age 68.1 years [range 44-88 years]) who were admitted to our hospital or treated as outpatients were included during the study period (August 2009 to April 2011). The brainstem lesion site occurred on the right side in 6 cases and on the left side in 9 cases. The sensory test was performed in cases from 13 days to 10 years after onset. All 15 cases were found to be LMI. A history of pneumonia was observed in 4 cases. Surgery to
Results
All cases presented with the curtain sign.
Discussion
This study is, to our knowledge, the first to clarify that patients with dysphagia caused by bulbar palsy may present with laryngeal sensory impairment on affective side. The important finding is that the lesions of patients with decreased laryngeal sensation included the nucleus solitarius.
Laryngopharyngeal mucosal sensation is under multiple controls (i.e., pharyngeal, lingual, and tonsillar branches of cranial nerve IX, pharyngeal branch of cranial nerve X, and superior and inferior
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